This invention relates to optical pulse compressors.
Chirped or frequency-modulated pulse compressors have long been known in the radar-related electronic arts; and somewhat analogous optical pulse compressors employing chirped or frequency-modulated optical beams have also been known for a number of years.
Nevertheless, these optical pulse compressors suffer from various disadvantages. In some cases, to compress the chirped or frequency-modulated pulse a group velocity dispersive effect is employed which is frequently disadvantageous in requiring operation close to a resonance frequency for which suitable sources may not be available.
Other pulse compressors such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,313 to R. L. Rosenberg, issued July 25, 1972, are severely limited in the overall group delay which may be achieved and hence are limited to compressing pulses which are already short.
It is desirable to have more versatile pulses compression techniques available that can overcome the foregoing problems.